Charlie Hebdo: A satirical return

The Listening Post examines the dominant themes in the news coverage surrounding the notorious French magazine.

Despite the attack that claimed ten lives at the satirical French magazine Charlie Hebdo on January 7, 2015, the publication returned to the newsstands one week later.

Staff claim that five million copies were distributed, a print run that is 80 times higher than normal. Just days before, an estimated 1.5 million people took to the streets of Paris to protest against the attack.

Among the ranks were world leaders determined to show their commitment to freedom of expression however the act quickly drew criticism on social media. Twitter was alight with Turks, Egyptians and Russians accusing their governments of hypocrisy and double standards given the treatment of journalists back at home.

The debates taking place around this story came in myriad forms; news conferences, editorials, blogs, broadcasts and ever more cartoons.

Helping us make sense of the dominant themes in the news coverage this week are author Anshuman Mondal; London-based journalist Myriam Francois-Cerrah; Aurelien Mondon from the University of Bath (UK); and from Index on Cencorship, Melody Patry.

The Listening Post can be seen each week at the following times GMT: Saturday: 0830, 1930; Sunday: 1430; Monday: 0430.